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Mariinsky Theatre

Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg

The Mariinsky Theater is both a cultural object and a landmark; not only travelers from Russian cities, but also foreign tourists seek to visit its productions during a visit to St. Petersburg. The founding date of the theater is 1783, first performances were staged at the Bolshoi Theater. Over time, the theater had a different building and name, the Mariinsky was named after Alexander II’s spouse Maria Alexandrovna.

The theater had many glorious periods, and truly talented people collaborated with it. The best operatic voices of their time shone on the theater stage - Leonid Sobinov, Fyodor Shalyapin, Maria Slavina, and among the ballet dancers were Matilda Kshesinskaya, Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina and other eminent performers.

Contemporary Mariinsky Theater is actively developing, seeking to update the repertoire and develop new formats of interaction with the public.

Poster of the Mariinsky Theater

The repertoire of the Mariinsky Theater is notable for its diversity; it presents both productions already loved by many and new ones. The theater collaborates with renowned international theaters, and the result of this work are joint productions. Art lovers can visit the opera, enjoy ballet performances, purchase tickets to musical concerts and lectures on the theme of culture and art. There are also productions designed for a young viewer. A special program is being prepared for New Year's holidays and anniversaries.

The stage of the Mariinsky Theater is a venue for international festivals - “Flute Virtuosos”, “Faces of Contemporary Pianism”, “Organ Festival” and other significant events. The theater is implementing the project “Open Environment”, the meaning of which is that every Wednesday afternoon there are free music concerts. Visitors have the opportunity to hear the performance of members of the orchestra of the theater and young instrumentalists works of composers who worked in different musical directions and historical eras. Tickets are issued directly at the entrance to the theater, but you need to bear in mind that the number of spectators is limited - the hall seats only 170 people.

Opera

The troupe has many experienced vocalists who honor the traditions of the theater, there are young talented artists who bring a lot of creative energy to the process. A significant place in the repertoire of the theater is occupied by productions based on the musical works of domestic outstanding composers - in particular, Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev. The repertoire includes the operas “Boris Godunov”, “The Tsar's Bride”, “Eugene Onegin”, “The Nightingale”.

Operas based on foreign classics - Mozart, Berlioz, Puccini, Rossini, Strauss and other famous composers are staged. On the theater stage you can hear the operas “Aida”, “Don Carlos”, “Macbeth”, “Benvenuto Cellini”, “Love potion”. Works are usually performed in the original language. Some performances for the convenience of the audience are accompanied by synchronous captions in different languages. The management of the theater does not disregard the operas of modern composers.

Opera is a rather complex genre that will not be easy to perceive and understand for an unprepared listener. Therefore, in the repertoire there are small operas - mono-operas and one-act, allowing you to join interesting works. For children, there are also small operas, in the preparation of which, the subjects and techniques that they understand are used to convey the eternal truths embodied in the productions.

Ballet of the Mariinsky Theater

The European choreographic art had a significant impact on the ballet of the theater. Choreographers from Italy and France were engaged in the preparation of artists who could perform the parts in their productions. A successful period in the work of the ballet troupe is associated with the name of Marius Petipa, who was a dancer and choreographer in the theater. Having achieved a lot in this field, he continued his work as the main choreographer of the theater. Such ballets as “The Swan Lake”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Raymonda” can still be seen in the poster, many fans of choreographic art enjoy going to them.

The repertoire of the theater is decorated with “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker”, “Sylphide”, “Corsair”, “Romeo and Juliet”. In addition to the productions that have become classic masterpieces, the Mariinsky Theater displays the best examples of the work of contemporary foreign choreographers and introduces performances of young promising choreographers.

Mariinsky Theater in 2019

The theater is constantly evolving, expanding its repertoire and coming up with new formats for working with the public. He has several scenes, each of which performs its role. The theater also includes Primorsk Stage, located in Vladivostok, a branch in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (Vladikavkaz).

Main stage

The historical first scene is still the main one for the theater. It is located at: Teatralnaya Square, 1, the building was built in 1860, since then it has undergone several renovations. On this stage, viewers can see a significant part of the repertoire.

The stage curtain is one of the symbols of the theater; it was created by the artist Alexander Golovin. Its peculiarity is that it is made in the techniques of painting and application and duplicates the drawing of the plume of Empress Maria Alexandrovna (wife of Alexander II).

Concert hall

Opening of the concert hall on the Pisareva street, d. 20 was held in late 2006. Earlier in the building for a long time were located the theater decoration workshops. After a devastating fire in the early 2000s, it was decided to build a Concert Hall on the site. During construction, it was possible to preserve part of the facade, which avoided destruction by fire. The theater and concert complex has an ultra-modern equipment.

Concerts of foreign symphony orchestras, famous instrumentalists and operatic soloists are held on the stage of the hall; conductor Christian Thielemann, singer Anna Netrebko, pianist Denis Matsuev, singer Sergey Leiferkus and other generally recognized performers performed here. The concert hall is a venue for various festivals, as well as exhibitions of paintings are organized within its walls.

New scene

The new theater building was opened in 2013, its address is: Decembrists street, d. 34. Although the architecture of the new building caused a lot of negative feedback, everything inside is thought out in accordance with all modern requirements - from the auditorium to the wardrobe. The auditorium seats up to 2000 people, it was designed to ensure the best acoustics, visibility and comfort for the audience. The scene consists of the main, rehearsal and rear scenes. A lot of space is reserved for rehearsal halls for actors of the troupe.

The building has an open terrace with a wonderful view of the city. It is available in the summer, you can visit it one hour before the start of the performance. Opera and ballet performances are staged on the stage. In addition to the auditorium, chamber halls are used, designed for a small circle of listeners. There are concerts, lectures, film screenings.

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